Blank conveying apparatus



Oct. 17, 1933. w. w. DAVIDSON 1,930,510

BLKNK CONVEYING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 21, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR.

David)" 912/ v ATTORNEY.

Oct; 17, 1933. w w, DAVIDSON 1,930,510

BLANK CONVEYING APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 21, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2g I INVEN TOR.

% W 772/ W45 DQ154260) Oct. 17, 1933. w. w. DAVIDSON 1,930,510

BLANK CONVEYiNG APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 21, 1928 4Sheets-Sheet 3 gj 25 I 26 IINVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Oct. 17, 1933. w. w. DAVIDSON BLANK CONVEYING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Original Filed Nov.. 21

ATTORNEY.

INVENTORJ ill!!! a Patented Oct. 1933 BLANK CONVEYING APPARATUS WilliamWard Davidson, Evanston, 111.

Application November 21, 1928, Serial No. 320,856

Renewed February 13, 1933 REISSUED 16 Claims. (Cl. 209-88) Thisinvention relates to blank feeding apparatus.

Blank feeding apparatus of the general type to which my inventionrelates is particularly designed and adapted for delivering blanks-assheets of paper, envelopes, cards, pamphlets, and the like-from a blankseparating machine to the feed devices of another machine with whichsaid blank separating machine is associated in operation.

Thename blanks will be used throughout the specification and claims todesignate, generally, all of the different articles which the apparatusis adapted to handle.

Practically all machines with which blank separating machines are used,are designed and adapted to operate upon single blanks, and, in

most cases, the operation of such machines will be seriously impaired'ifa plurality of superposed blanks or doubles are delivered thereto. Also,as is generally well'known to persons familiar with the operation ofblank separating machines, double feeding occurs at times in theoperation of practically all blank separating machines which operate atconsiderable speed, and particularly with what may be designateduniversal machines; that is, machines designedto operate on differentkinds of stock.

The object of the present invention is to provide means in associationwith means for delivering blanks to a printing press or other machine,constructed and arranged for diverting or shunting any doubles whichmay'occur from a normal line of feed, so that they will not be deliveredto the machine with which said blank'feeding apparatus is associated inoperation, which will be simple in construction and,

practically infallible in operation.

To effect the objects of the invention, blank feeding apparatusembodying my invention and improvements comprises the various features,combinations of features and details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which blank feeding apparatus embodyingmy invention and improvements is fully illustrated- Fig. 1 is a top planview of blank feeding said member 1 and arm 1' forming a bell-crank theparts in normal operating position; that is, in position to feed blanksfrom the blank separating machine to the machine in association withwhich it is used;

Fig. 4 is a view substantially similar to Fig. 3, showing, the parts inposition to. divert or shunt doubles so that they will not be deliveredto the machine with which the blank separating machine is used:

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view substantially from the position 5-5 of Fig.3;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view substantially on the line 6-6 ofFig. 1; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary sectional plan views substantially on thelines 7-7 and 8-8, 7 respectively, of Fig. 6.

Describing the invention with particular reference to the drawings, inwhich,,for purposes of clear and definite illustration, I have shownblank diverting or shunting means embodying my invention andimprovements as incorporated in blank feeding apparatus, designated as awhole A, shown as applied in use for feeding separated blanks from ablank separating machine-to the feeding devices of a printing press, 30parts of which, respectively, are indicated by the reference charactersA A.

As regards its usual features and except as hereinafter particularly.described and pointed out, said blank feeding apparatus may be of anyusual or desired construction and will readily be understood by personsskilled in the art from an inspection of the drawings without adescription thereof in detail.

In what I now consider to be its preferable embodiment, I attain theobject of the invention as it relates to diverting or shunting "doubles,by means comprising a tilting diverting member, designated as a whole B,supported on a suitable frame consisting, as shown, of the side framemembers a, a of the blank conveying apparatus A, and which are rigidlyconnected by transverse frame members a, see Fig. 1. In use, oppositeends of the side members a, a of -the conveyor frame are secured torigid parts .of the frames of the blank separating machine A and of theprinting press A, respectively. y

As shown, the tilting diverting member B com-'- prises a frameconsisting of side frame members 1, 1' pivoted at one end to a shaft 2mounted to rotate n bearings in the side members a, a, said members 1,1' being positioned inside of said frame members a, 0'.

Depending from the member 1 is an arm 1',

lever, and, as shown, a plate 3 is secured to the upper sides of saidpivoted members 1, 1 and rigidly connects the same.

The frame members 1, 1' of the tilting diverting member B areoperatively connected to a rock shaft 4 fitted to turn freely inbearings formed in brackets or projections 5 on a bar 6 which extendstransversely of the conveyor and is positioned aboveand in spacedrelation to the pivoted arms 1, 1'. As shown, opposite ends of the bar 6are supported by bars 7 secured to the side frame members of the blankseparating machine A but, within the scope and contemplation of myinvention, may be supported in any desired manner, as by uprightstandards secured to the side frame members a, a of the conveyor A, thusrendering said conveyor, including the tilting diverting member B,self-contained. Secured to the rock shaft 4 adjacent to opposite sidesof the conveyor are lever arms 8, which are connected by links 9 tostuds 10 on the side frame members 1, 1' of the tilting diverting member13 at a distance from their pivoted ends, the relation being such thatthe pivoted members 1, 1' forming the frame of said tilting divertingmember will extend parallel with each other.

Pivotal movement of the tilting diverting member B is limited by meansof suitable stops consisting, as shown, of a bar 11 secured to the sidemember a of the main frame of the conveyor, rigid parts of which extendinwardly, as shown at 12, so that they will project into the path ofmovement of the frame member 1 as it turns pivotally. As shown, also,rubber cushions 13 are secured to the adjacent sides of the inwardlyprojecting parts 12 with which said member 1 will contact directly, thuspreventing, in large measure, shock and noise incident to such contactin operation.

Inaccordance with my invention, the tilting diverting member 3 isadapted to be maintained normally in position corresponding to a con- 1templated normal lineof feed of separated blanks from the blankseparating machine A to the printing press or other machine A3, showninfulllinesinFig.3,andisadaptedtobereleased to permit it to turn bygravity into position to divert or shunt separated blanks from.

their designed normal line offeed, if and when doubles" occur and todeliver said doubles elsewhere than to the printing press or other'machineAE, as shown in Fig. 4, by means as follows:

Rotatably mounted at the receiving end of the tilting conveyor sectionB, so that blanks delivered thereto from the 'blank separatingmachine Awill pass between the same, are caliper members 14 and 15. The lowercaliper member consists of a'cylindrical roller and, as shown, issecured to the shaft 2 to which said tilting diverting member 3 ispivoted, as heretofore described, and to which,'in operation, rotationis imparted, as shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2. The upper-calipermember 15 is rotatably mounted so as to be bodily adjustable toward andfrom the lower caliper member 14 and comprises a surface 15' which formsthesegm'ent of a cylinder which, under normal operating. conditions, isopposed to the cylindrical surface ofthe lower caliper member 14.

In, the preferable construction ,shown, said caliper member 15 isrotatably mounted at the lower ends of forked arms 16 which form partsof a slide member l7.fltted tosuitable, guide bearings formed on a heador carriage 18 secured to the ,bar 6, see particularly Fig. 7, thusrendering said caliper member 15 vertically adjustable towards and fromthe lower caliper member 14,

Under normal operating conditions, the caliper member 15 is passive andis maintained normally in a position of rest by means of a spring 19which connects a pin 20 secured in said caliper member, eccentric to itsaxis of rotation, with a rigid part of or projection on the slide 17,the position of rest of said passive caliper member being defined bycontact of the pin 20 with an arm 16 on the slide member 17, or othersuitable stop; I i

The caliper member 15 is mainta' ed yieldingly at the limit of itsadvancement toward the lower caliper member 14 by a spring 21, Figs. 1and 6, positioned in a slot 22 formed in the slide member 17, and whichreacts between the lower end of said slot and the under side of aprojection 24 on the carriage 18, Figs. 6 and 7, which extends into theslot 22 in the slide member 17. Said spring will operate in an obviousmanner to maintain the slide member 17 and caliper member 15 normally atthe limit of their advancement toward the caliper member 14, and saidslide member and caliper member are adapted to be retracted from thecaliper member 14 against the force of the spring 21 by a screw 25 whichhas threaded engagement with a hole formed in a nut26 which forms partof the slide member 17, said nut being positioned at the upper end ofthe slot 22 therein, the lower end of said screw bearing against the topside of the projection 24 on the carriage 18, all as clearly shown inFig. 6 of the drawings. The screw 25 has a knurled head 27 for turningthe same, formed on which are graduations 28 which in practice arereferred to an index finger 29 secured to the carriage 18, saidgraduations and index finger providing means for effecting very'ilnelit) and accurate adjustment of the caliper member 15 with reference tothe caliper member 14.

In practice, the caliper member 15 is adjusted in such relation to thecaliper member 14 that they will be separated by a space which willpermit of a single blank, of the kind upon which the conveyor isoperating at a given time,

to pass freely throughthe same, but the width of which will be less thanthe thickness of two superposed blanks.

As shown also, the surface of the caliper member 15 opposed to thesurface of the caliper member 14 is relieved or cut away, as shown atbrought into a position opposite-to the surface, of the lower calipermember A4, as shownin Fig. 4, thus providing a between the cahpermembers of sumcient width to permit two or more blanks to pass freelybetween said caliper members.

In accordance with my invention, the tilting diverting member B issupported in inoperative or non-diverting position, corresponding to adesired normal line of feed, as shown in Fig. 3.

and'isadaptedtobereleasedsoastopermitit to fall by ra ty intop'ositionto divert fed blanks from the normal line of feed and todeliver-them. at a point of discharge otherthan .the feeding devices ofthe printing press A, by

means, in part, as follows:Secured to the caliper member 15 is a stoparm 31 which, as shown, extends substantially radially to the axis ofrotation of said caliper member, and secured to the rock shaft 4 isalever arm 32, a rigidpart of. which is adapted to contact with the endof said stop arm 31 when said caliper member 151s in its position ofrest, defined by contact of the pin 20 secured therein with an arm 16,the relation being such that when the lever arm 32 is in contact withthe stop arm 31, the tilting diverting member B will be in positioncorresponding to the desired normal line of feed of the fed blanks,shown in Fig. 3.

For reasons presently apparent, the stop arm 31 and the lever arm 32 areoffset relative to each other, as shown in Fig. 5, the end 32' of thelever arm 32 being bent substantially at right angles so-that itsextreme end will align with the stop arm 31.

Mounted in association with the caliper members 14 and 15 are blankfeeding devices, said blank feeding devices being in duplicate atopposite sides of said caliper members and preferably positioned closelyadjacent thereto. As said feeding devices are in duplicate, onedescription will suflice for both, and the following description will,therefore, be in the singular:-

Each of said feed devices comprises a cylindrical member 33 on the shaft2 and a roller 34 .rotatably mounted in the lower ends of arms 35 whichare slidably mounted in guide grooves 36 formed in a head 37 secured tothe bar 6, preferably in such manner as to .be adjustable lengthwise ofsaid bar members and toward and from the caliper member 15. As shown,the

head 37 is provided with a slot which slidably engages the bar 6, asclearly shown in Fig. 8, and said head is adapted to be secured indifferent adjusted positions on said bar by means of a. thumb screw 38which has threaded engagement with a hole formed in a part of said head,the inner end of which abuts against the bar 6.

The upper ends of the slide bars 35 are rigidly connected to a head orblock 39, and the feed roller 34 is adapted to be maintained in contactwith the lower feed roller 33 with a yielding pressure by means of aspring 40 inserted between the head 41 of a screw 42 having threadedengagement with the head 37, said screw 42 passing freeb' through a holeformed in the head 39. c

To afford greater traction, the roller 33 secured to. the shaft 2 isknurled, but obvlously force, that is, when a plurality of superposedblanks are delivered to said caliper members 14 and 15. Rotation of saidcaliper member 15 will continue until the relieved portion 30 thereof isbrought opposite the surface of the lower caliper member 14, thusproviding a space of increased width for the passage of said superposedblanks.

If, however, the aggregrate thickness of said superposed blanks isgreater than the normal clearance between the surface of the lowercaliper member 14 and the relieved surface 30 of the caliper member 15,they'will raise the caliper member 15 against the force of the spring 21and will thus produce a frictional resistance or drag to the movement ofsuch superposed blanks, which, however, will be overcomeby the pull ofthe associated feed rollers 33 and 34, thus preventing such superposedblanks from becoming jammed between the caliper members, which wouldprevent further operation of the conveyor.

With the described construction and arrangement of parts, it is obviousthat when a plurality of superposed blanks is fed between the calipermembers 14 and 15, rotation in a counter clock-wise direction will beimparted to the caliper member 14, which will move the end of the stoparm 31 thereon out of line with and above the lateral projection 32' atthe end of the lever arm 32 on the shaft 4, whereupon the tiltingdiverting member B will fall by gravity from its position correspondingto a normal line of feed, shown in Fig. 3, to the position shown in Fig.4, in which the frame member 1 of said tilting conveyor section willrest in contact with the stop 12 on the bar 11, and said superposedblanks will be delivered below the normal line of feed and "into asuitable receptacle, indicated asawholeCinFig. 2.

Movement of the tilting diverting member B from normal position into theposition shown in Fig. 4, through its connection with the rock shaft 4heretofore described, will operate to turn said rock shaft to move thelever arm 32 secured thereto, from its position shown in Fig. 3, definedby contact of said lever arm with the stop arm 31 on the caliper member15, to the position thereof shown in Fig. 4. Also, due to the fact thatthe stop arm 31 on the caliper member 15 has been turned into a positionabove the laterally projecting end 32 of the lever arm 32, rotation ofsaid lever arm from its position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4will cause the laterally projecting end 32' of said lever arm to engagethe under side of the stop arm 31 and to turn it positively into theposition shown in Fig. 4. As shown, also, the relation is such that whenthe stop arm 31 is in the position shown in Fig. 4, the relieved surface30 on the'caliper member 15 will be subber 14, which in most cases willpermit superposed blanks to pass freely between said caliper members andwill relieve the conveyed blanks from all drag due to frictionalcontact'thereof with said surface 30 and will correspondingly relievethe duty imposed upon. the feed rollers 33 and 34, except where theaggregate thickness of said superposed blanks is'greater than the normalmaximum clearance between said relieved surface and the lower calipermember.

In accordance with my invention, also, my improved apparatus comprisesmeans, operable at each feeding cycle, for moving the blank divertingmember to non-diverting position, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and forsupporting said diverting member in such non-diverting position, saidmeans being arranged for retracting the'rock arm 32 from engagement withthe stop arm 31 on the caliper member 15, the relation being such thatsaid caliper member will be thus disengaged from the blank divertingmember when the advancing edges of fed blanks enter between the calipermembers 14 and 15, with the caliper member 15 in its position of rest,thus permitting said caliper member 15 to respond to aforcespecifically, the traction or friction produced by the entering ofsuperposed blanks between said caliper members-tending to turn it in acounterclockwise direction to bring the stop arm 31 out of engagingrelation to the rock arm 32, whereby, when said diverting member isreleased by said independent supporting means, it will assume divertingposition.

In the preferable construction shown, the means for thus moving saiddiverting member to non-diverting position and for disengaging thecaliper member 15 therefrom is as follows:- pivoted at 43 to a rigidsupport, which, conveniently, may be part of the frame of the printingpress A, is a lever arm 44, the upper end of which is connected by meansof a rod 45 with the lower end of the arm 1 which depends from thepivoted side frame member 1 of the tilting diverting member B, andsecured to a shaft 46 which we will assume is the main driving shaft ofthe printing press A to which my improved apparatus is shown as appliedin use, is a cam 47, which comprises a raised portion 48 which, at eachrevolution of said cam, is arranged to engage a roller stud 49 securedto the lever 44, said cam being so proportioned that, through thedescribed connections of the lever 44 with the tilting conveyor sectionB, said cam will operate to turn said tilting conveyor section from itsdepressed position shown in Fig. 4, to a position slightly above itspositioncorresponding to a normal line of feed of the conveyed blanks,its extreme position being indicated by the dotted lines 50 in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, such extreme position being defined by the upper stop 12on the bar 11.

Due to the fact that the position of the tilting diverting member Bcorresponding to a normal line of feed of the main blanks is defined bycontact of the lever arm 32 on the rock shaft 4 with the end of the stoparm 31 on the caliper member 15, it is obvious that movement of thetilting diverting member B above its normal raised position will retractthe lever arm 32 on the rock shaft 4 from contact with the end of thestop arm 31, to the position shown substantially by the line 51 at eachrevolution of the shaft 46 and cam 4'7, thus relieving said stop arm 31from the pressure due to the weight of the tilting conveyor section Band leaving the caliper member 15 free to rotate: under the influence ofsuperpwed blanks delivered thereto, ex-

cept for the resistance of the spring 19 applied thereto.

In practical operation, the cam 48 will be timed with the printing pressA and also with the blank separating machine A. As shown in Figs. 1 and2, the tilting diverting member B is counterbalanced by a spring 52, see1 and 2, applied to the lever arm 44, the end of which remote from saidarm is connected to afixed part'of-the'frame of the machine A. Saidspring will be calibrated to sustain a considerable part of the weightof said diverting member 3, thus reducing the duty on the cam 4'1 andcorrespondingly reducing the power necessary to return said divertingmember from diverting to non-diverting position.

7 5 From the foregoing description of its construction and operation, itis apparent that the effective factor controlling the operation of myimproved diverting apparatus, is the thickness of blanks delivered tothe means for tripping or releasing the diverting means, a blank notexceeding a predetermined thickness, transversing said releasing ortripping device without affecting the same, while superposed blanks,which may be considered as exemplifying blanks exceeding suchpredetermined thickness, when delivered to the releasing or trippingmechanism, will release or trip the diverting device and will render thesame operative. Accordingly, I have used the designation blanksexceeding a predetermined thickness" to include both superposed blanksand single blanks of excess thickness.

I claim:

1. In combination, blank feeding means, a movably supported member. fordiverting blanks exceeding a predeterminedthickness from a contemplatedpath, a caliper for detecting blanks of excess thickness comprising amovable member, and means for supporting said diverting member innon-diverting position comprising means in association with a movablecaliper member, and means separate from said movable caliper member,operable during the calipering operation and arranged to disengage saidmovable caliper member and said diverting member, thereby freeing saidmovable caliper member.

2. In combination, blank feeding means, a movably supported member fordiverting blanks exceeding a predetermined thickness from a contemplatedpath, a caliper for detecting blanks of excess thickness comprising amovable member, means for supporting said diverting mem-" ber innon-diverting position comprising means in associationwith a movablecaliper member, and means operable at each feeding cycle for moving saidblank diverting member from diverting to non-diverting position andarranged to disengage said movable caliper member and said divertingmember during the calipering operation, thereby freeing said movablecaliper member.

3. In combination, blank feeding means, a movably supported member fordiverting blanks exceeding a predetermined thickness from a contemplatedpath, a caliper for detecting blanks of excess thickness comprising amovable member, means for supporting said diverting member innon-diverting position comprising means in association with a movablecaliper member, and means operable at each feeding cycle for disengagingthe diverting member from the supporting means therefor associated withsaid caliper during the calipering operation.

"4TIn combination, blank feeding means, a movably supported member fordiverting blanks exceeding a predetermined thickness from a contemplatedpath, a caliper for detecting blanks of excess thickness comprising amovable member, means for supporting said diverting member innon-diverting position comprising means in association with a movablecaliper member, and means separate from said movable caliper memberoperable at each feeding cycle, arranged to disengage said divertingmember from the supporting means therefor associated with said calipermember, during the calipering operation.

5. The combination specified in claim 1, which comprises rotatablecylindrical caliper members one of which is normally passive, means formaintaining said passive caliper member yieldingly in a position of restand supporting ing said passive caliper member yieldingly in a positionof rest, comprising a spring applied thereto and a stop which limitsturning movement of said caliper member by said spring.

7. The combination specified in claim 1, which comprises rotatablecylindrical caliper members one of which is normally passive, and meansfor maintaining said normally passive member yieldingly in position ofrest, comprising a spring applied thereto, and a stop which limitsturning movement of said caliper member by'said spring, the relationbeing such that when free, said passive caliper member may turn with ablank passing between said caliper members.

, 8. The combination specified in claim 1, which comprises rotatablecylindrical caliper members one of which is normally passive and asector of the perimeter'of which is relieved to provide increasedclearance between said caliper members when said relieved sector isbrought into v opposition to the surface of the other caliper member byturning movement of said passive calipermember from its position ofrest.

9. The combination as specified in claim 1,

which comprises blank feeding means associated sitioned at both sides ofthe caliper and closely adjacent thereto. 12. The combination specifiedin claim 1, the

' diverting member of which is pivotally supported.

13. The combination specified in-claim 1, the

blank diverting member of which is pivotally supported and whichcomprises stops which limit turning movement of said diverting member inboth directions.

14. The combination specified in claim 1, the blank diverting member ofwhich is pivoted at its receiving. end.

15. The combination specified in claim 1, the, blank diverting member ofwhich comprises path of said cam, and 'a connecting rod which connectssaid cam actuated lever with an arm of said bell-crank-leve'r.

16. In combination, blank feeding means,-a movably supported member fordiverting blanks exceeding a predetermined thickness from a contemplatedpath, a caliper for detecting blanks of excess thickness comprising amovable member, means .for supporting said diverting memberinnon-diverting position comprising means in association with a movablecaliper member, and means separate from said movable caliper memberoperable at each feeding cycle, arranged to move said'diverting memberfrom diverting to non-diverting position and to disengage. saiddiverting member from the supporting means therefor associated with saidcaliper member during the calipering operation.

WILLIAM WARD DAVIDSON.

